Rail-joint.



No. 679,956. Patented Aug. 6, I901.

- W. J. DEVERS.

RAIL JOINT.

Application filed Apr. 27. 1901.)

(No Model.)

' a; iii/jxpaww, aw. Jfii a A afiargcys m: nouns mint :1, PHOTOLITHQ. wnmrqam. a c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Grams.

WILLIAM J. DEVERS, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF TO MORGAN DAVIS, JR, OF SAME PLACE.

RAIL-JOINT SIPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,956, dated August 6, 1901. Application filed April 27, 1901. beristl No. 57,825. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. DEVERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in rail-joints.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of rail-joints and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one adapted to afford a firm support for the ends of the rails and capable of carrying the wheels of a train over the same and of preventing the wheels from contacting with and breaking down the ends of the rails.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a device of this character adapted to form practically a continuous rail to relieve a train of the jars, shocks, and vibrations incidlent to passing over the ends of ordinary rai s.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rail-joint constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 3 is a detailview of the inner fish-plate. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the supporting-plate. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the outer fish-plate.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 and 2 designate inner and outer fishplates arranged at the inner and outer faces of rails 3 and secured to the same by bolts 4, passing through the fish-plates and through the webs of the rails in the usual manner, and these bolts, which are provided with suitable nuts, may be of any desired number. The inner fish-plate 1 is provided with an outwardlyextending bottom flange 5, fitting against the bottom flange of the rail, and the inner face of the vertical portion of the inner 5o fish-plate is provided with upper and lower longitudinal ribs or enlargements 6 and 7,

fitting against the adjacent faces of the webs of the rails and arranged beneath the heads of the same and at the bottom flanges thereof. The ribs or enlargements 6 and 7 offset the body portion of the vertical part of the inner fish-plate from the webs of the rails. The outer fish-plate is provided with a bottom flange 8, and it has a top or head 9 arranged at the outer side faces of the heads of the rails and extending above the treads of the same and adapted to carry the wheels of a train over the ends of the rails without permitting them to contact with the same and forming practically a continuous rail, whereby the jars and vibrations incident to the contact of the wheels of a train with the ends of the rails are avoided. The durability of the rails is also greatly increased, and the ends of the top or head 9 of the outer fishplate are beveled to enable the wheels of a train to readily ride up the same. The flange 8 of the fish-plate extends outward at the bottom, and the said outer fish-plate is also provided with an inwardly-extendin g bottom flange 10, having its lower face arranged in the same inclined plane as the lower face of the inclined outer bottom flange S. The top or head 9 of the outer fish-plate projects laterally from the same at the inner and outer faces thereof, and the inwardly-projecting portion abuts against the adjacent side faces of the heads of the rails, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. g

In order to enable the parts to be properly positioned with relation to the rails, either in assembling the parts or when the outer fishplate becomes worn, longitudinal strips 13 and 14. of thin sheet metal may be arranged as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The upper longitudinal sheet-metal strip is interposed between the top or head 9 and a longitudinal supporting-plate 15, which also supports the rails. The supporting-plate 15, which has an enlarged top portion, tapers toward its bottom and is interposed between the outer fish-plate and the webs of the rails and is provided at its. innerface with upper and lower longitudinal ribs 16 and 17, located at the top and bottom of the webs of the rails and fitting against the same. The top of the supporting-plate conforms to the configuia tion of the lower faces of the heads of the rails, and the bottom is rounded to fit the bottom flanges of the rails. The lower portion of the supporting-plate is interposed between the bottom fiange 10 of the outer faceplate and the webs of the rails. The lower strip 14 is arranged beneath the bottom of the outer fish-plate and cooperates WiththG upper strip 13 in slightly elevating the outer fish-plate. The openings for the bolts are designed to be of suflicient size to permit this adjustment of the outer fish-plate, and the ends of the longitudinal strips are bent against the adjacent portions of the outer fishplate. Should it be desired to raise the outer fishplate again, the strips 13 and 14 may be removed and thicker strips substituted for them. The bottom strip 14 may be'provided with a longitudinal flange 18, which is interposed between the flange 10 and the supporting-plate. The upper strip 13 is preferably bent upward, and the ends of the flange 18 are bent outward horizontally.

It will be seen that the rail-joint is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it strengthens, supports, and increases the durability of the rails, and that it forms practically a continuous unbroken rail and prevents the wheels of a train from coming in contact with and breaking down the ends of the rails.

What I claim is- 1. In a rail-joint, the combination with a pair of rails, of an inner fish-plate, an outer fish-plate provided with a head extending above the rails, said outer fish-plate being also provided with an inwardly-extending bottom flange, and thetapering supportingplate interposed between the outer fish-plate and the rails and supporting the heads of the rails and the top of the outer fish-plate, the bottom of the supporting-plate abutting against the bottom flange of the outer fishplate and the web of the rails and resting upon the bottom flanges of the same, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination with a pair of rails, of an inner fish-plate, the outer fish-plate provided with a head, longitudinal strips arranged upon the bottom flanges of therails and upon the top of the inner fishplate and supporting the outer fish-plate to raise the same, and means for securing the fish-plates to the rails, substantially as described.

3. In a rail-joint, the combination with a pair of rails, of an inner fish-plate, an outer fish-plate provided with a head and having an inwardly-extending bottom fiange,the supporting-plate interposed between the outer fish-plate and the rails, and the longitudinal strips arranged beneath the head and the inwardly-extending bottom flange of the outer fish-plate, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. DEVERS. 

